Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note nor do I own its characters. It all belongs to its respective creater

A/N: Hey, what has it been? Two years? Sorry, I must say, it surprised me that there were nearly 100 reviews. To be honest after about thirty pages or five chapters, which ever comes last, I loose my creative flow. So here it is very belated. Please don't kill me, and enjoy the fanficiton. - depresedchildren

Raito sat down on a stool in a small pub on his way back to the orphanage. He had a few bills from odd jobs around the orphanage. Plus, they were usually given an allowance for the holidays, and not following their religions, Raito saved up those allowances. He could afford this, and so shook his coat out before hanging on the back of his stool. He ordered a cup of tea while he waited for his sandwich.

Like most pubs, there was a cloud of smoke hanging in the air and the food was sadly lacking and greasy. How one could make a turkey sandwich greasy was beyond the brunette. However, it was not a completely wasted stop. He picked up information on the progression of the Kira case from the television and the other pub patrons. It was nearly over, nearly over.

Raito mourned for his father's passing, berating himself for wasting his chance to save his father. Raito looked smiled slightly at the news of the news anchor dying, killing Mello in the process. Praying to all the deities he knew, Raito hoped Near heeded his advice. If the robotic man did, then today was Kira's downfall.

Sighing, Raito finished his tea and left a few euros on the counter. Slipping on his coat he made his way to the exit when his doe brown eyes caught something in a dim corner of the bar. Furrowing his brow, Raito took calculated steps toward the thing which caught his attention. His fingers floated over the table, there were several empty sugar cube packets lined up in a…L…?

Raito took a hasty step back before hurrying out of the bar. Perhaps he had finally cracked. The child shuddered and proceeded on his way. His chest still ached at the thought of the pale stoic detective, yet it less than six years previous. The boy brought his coat closer around him as the heavens continued to pour cool droplets of moisture upon him.

He would ignore his hallucinations, and if they persisted then he would go for help, no matter how much the thought made his insides twist. Kira's days were numbered, it was only a matter of time until Hisao was dead. The monster would be vanquished and his evil dispelled. It would end soon, it would end soon.

88

The boy knew it was over when he heard flapping behind him and an annoying laugh. He controlled his reaction, seeing as he was in the middle of a game of kickball. He ignored the annoying creature until one of the boys kicked the ball in the boarder woods. Raito offered to get it and told them that he would be sitting out.

After throwing the ball to them, the teen settled down in the shade of one of the trees and looked up at the hovering shinigami. "What now?" he whispered softly.

His only response was that annoying laugh. Rolling his eyes at the supernatural beings antics, the boy slid his eyelids closed and rested. He could hear the other children head back in, but they did not bother him. He was often forgotten, children were so self-centered after all.

When the night creatures began to come out and Ryuk had yet to talk to Raito the boy rocked into a sitting position. There was a small rustling behind him, but before the boy could hazard a guess as to what it was, he felt arms wrap around him and heard Ryuk cackle louder than before.

Stiffening, Raito slowly turned his head to the side to figure out who the stranger was. The boy's breath hitched and he made a strange jerking motion out of the man's arms. Tired and troubled eyes regarded the boy tenderly. Raito shook his head, scrambling to his feet.

"I don't understand,"

"Neither did I, Light-chan. How could I feel like this toward a child? How could I blind myself to how earnest you were," the boys lips were trembling while Ryuk's laughter only seemed to increase.

"Is this a joke? Ryuk, what are you pulling?" oh how he wanted to believe this was all real, oh how he wanted to succumb to this ruse. Ryuk's laugh increased which followed the pale man's furrowed brow.

"Light-chan" the man paused thinking over his words, "Raito-chan" he stressed, "I used the injection you gave me. It's been five years Raito, I woke up a few weeks ago,"

"But your funeral…" the boy continued to back away from his pale fantasy.

"It was a stand in. As we worked with Yatsuba, I couldn't shake what you had told me and I began to arrange things for my death. Raito, I never doubted you, I just…kept telling my"

"Yourself?" Raito supplied, venom dripping from his words, "You didn't believe me L. How can I forgive you for that? Yeah, you just kept telling yourself I was a silly, lying, impressionable brat!" as the pale man reached out his hand toward the boy, Raito jerked away throwing him an outraged look. "I-I…" he was stumbling over his words in his anger which provided L a chance to take the boy into his arms and hold him close.

Ryuk's laughter faded to the background as L rocked the boy back and forth in his embrace. He buried his nose into the boy's brunette tresses, relishing his subtle scent. "I know, there's little excuse, but I have never been one to take back my actions. I admit that it was one of my largest errors. Raito I love you," he was broken off again, but this time by the boy's sobs.

"Why do you make me cry?" the boy managed through his gasps, "Why didn't Hisao, why do you make me feel weak?" Raito clung to the pale man's shirt for dear life. He felt L's warmth, could hear the faint beat of his heart over Raito's miserable sobs.

L encircled the boy further, as if he was attempting to drag the boy into the center of his being. "I'm sorry; I have regretted my actions for…from the moment I said I didn't believe you. I thought it was the only way…to stop feeling like this," the detective managed to get the boy to look up at him with shining tear filled eyes. "Why do I feel this way?" he whispered to the night air.

He brushed his lips chastely against the smaller one's lips. They both shuddered before fully kissing. It was short and simple, an apology and a pardon. Upon pulling apart, L wiped away the remaining tears from the boy's eyes.

The older of the two brought them down to the ground, Raito in his arms, snuggling against his chest. They remained like that, Ryuk dancing above them with his insane smile. They were in their own world where innocent kisses meant everything and the steady heartbeat of the other was music. "I love you L," Raito whispered finally, as the witching hour drew near.

By this point the two could no longer ignore the shinigami's laughter. The deformed creature almost seemed in pain, from the force of his cackles. He danced above them, as if he knew something they did not.

"Reunited at last," he sang, causing the two human's to furrow their brows. "But oh so late!" he cried in delight, causing the two to pale. "Tick, tock, tick, tock; like Cinderella it will all fade away," he cackled again.

L stared at Raito with mirrored horror in their expressions. They kissed each other again, whispering announcements of love and remembrance over and over, as if it would hold off death. "I don't want you to leave again," Raito whispered, his jaw trembling, and his eyes wide and terrified by the prospect.

"All sweet things fade away," the man whispered, "and maybe you'll find a new sweet. Don't reserve yourself to loneliness Raito, find someone to love as much as I love you," the boy shook his head, tears beginning to spill over his doe brown eyes.

Ryuk was cackling behind them as nearby clock tower began its tolls. Midnight had arrived and the two were sharing one last kiss, "Come on Cinderella, you're pumpkin's waiting, and you've completed the ball. Say could by to your prince," he shinigami took some sort of joy out of this moment.

L opened his eyes, and gave the shinigami a reserved look, but…the creature was looking at Raito, and L no longer felt he boy's weight against his chest. Light was filling the space the boy had been, millions of rainbows and pure radiating light.

"No…" he whispered, but the boy's light was fading away, "I don't understand!" the man shouted, rising to his feet.

"Happily ever after is a concept you humans created. He completed his task, and you'll soon forget about him. Why would we give his life back, when in another day and age, he would have been Kira? Life and love are fleeting things, human, get used to that,"

L shook his head, his fists clenched at his sides. "The whole world will forget Light existed, and the great L is no exception," the shinigami mocked before flying away into the night, leaving a broken man in his wake.

88

True to his word, everyone forgot, forgot L had died, and forgot about Light's existence. Near understood his involvement in the case had been a test, L had been in the shadows supplying the boy with crucial information, such as the OCD Kira worshiper.

But nights when the moon was cold and bright in the sky, skewing the world with refracted light and rings, L could feel something, feel something ache in his chest and mind. There was unbelievable sadness accompanied by a warmth that was so complete. His critical and logical mind could only tell him it was love, but of who and where were they now? A name would come to him late at night, when that moon shone at him in its eerie, beautiful way; Raito.

A/N: Please don't kill me, it just came to me while I was wirting and it seemed so perfect and bitter sweet. I'm sorry that it was really gushy, but I felt this was how it should end. I was crying writing this, wanting a happy ending, but I couldn't, my muse wouldn't let me. Perhaps it's hormones making me tear up over it, but who knows. I hope you liked it. - love, depressedchildren